The mystery of Derek Stepan

Derek Stepan has been a bit of a revelation for the Rangers. The first homegrown prospect that came in as a legitimate offensive threat, Stepan has dazzled many with his tremendous first two seasons in New York. He has played a full 164 games in those two seasons, and has put together a very nice line of 38-58-96. He has been better than expected over the course of the regular season. But it’s the playoffs that have many worrying.

In nine playoff games thus far, Stepan has failed to record a point. Even worse, Stepan has barely been noticeable. Anton Stralman has usurped control of his spot on the point on the powerplay, and Stepan has even seen time on the fourth line this series.

Stepan is scoreless in his last nine contests, and has just four goals since March 1. This could be written off as a rough patch, but the problem is that this happened to Stepan last season as well. In the final month of last season and the first round of the playoffs, Stepan again only record four goals. If last season was a result of the proverbial NCAA wall, then what is this season?

Looking deeper into the numbers, Stepan may be a bit invisible this postseason, but he’s not exactly “useless” as so many people are saying. This postseason, Stepan has been facing the second highest quality of competition among the forwards (Qualcomp of .370*). Despite facing higher quality of competition, Stepan still maintains a high RCorsi (puck possession metric) of 14.6*. While not the best on the team, it is still a high positive number, which means Stepan and his linemates have had the puck more often than the opponent.

*- Small sample sizes

Both his Qualcomp and RCorsi are up significantly from the last postseason. Stepan is improving, even if we don’t necessarily see it on the scoreboard. So if his metrics are good, why the scoring issue?

Read more »

Musings: When leadership plays its role; Special teams playoffs; Kreider’s ice time

So the Rangers lost another heartbreaker last night in overtime. It’s their second loss to the Senators in the series, both coming in overtime. The fan base is on edge, and for good reason. The Senators are a good team, and a team that the Rangers do not match up well against. It’s going to be a stressful series, that’s for sure. But enough of that, let’s get to the musings for the day.

I’m in the process of reading a book called “Losing the Edge: The Rise and Fall of the Stanley Cup Champion New York Rangers”, and there was a great quote in the book, from none other than Mark Messier:

“Leadership isn’t about the win, it’s about how you rebound after the loss.”

This statement is more true now, in this series, than ever before. The Rangers have more leaders on this team with Cup experience than the Senators. It’s time for the leaders to take charge. In fact, one of the leaders –Mike Rupp– almost won the game for the Rangers in overtime with his forecheck in the Senators zone.  People still rip on Rupp for no reason whatsoever. Maybe it’s the contract, but I get the sense that it’s a feeling of “he doesn’t do anything for this club.” That is so false, it pains me every time I see it. Hockey is more than goals and assists. It’s about dirty work, especially playoff hockey.

Speaking of playoff hockey, is last night’s game what we are reduced to? There were a toal of 12 penalties last night totaling 24 PIMs. Some were legitimate calls, but I can point to two penalties, one per team, that were questionable at best. Ryan McDonagh’s “trip” on Zenon Kenopka in the first period and Zach Smith’s “interference” on Ruslan Fedotenko in the second period were very iffy calls. But such is the life after a dirty first two games. The refs aren’t going to allow this stuff to fly. This is now a special teams series, and that makes most people nervous.

Read more »

Getting by without Hagelin

Unless you have been living under a rock for the past week, you know that Carl Hagelin was suspended (questionably) for 3 games for elbowing Ottawa captain Daniel Alfredsson in the head during game 2 of their Eastern Conference Quarterfinal series.  Due to this turn of events, the Rangers have lost a key cog in their top line, and one of their biggest speed/forechecking threats.

Chris Kreider was inserted into the lineup in Hagelin’s place for game 3 and acquitted himself well for a pro debut in the middle of a playoff series.  By the third period, however, Torts felt that Kreider wasn’t ready to be that guy for the top line and inserted Derek Stepan.  The question remains going into Game 4 on Wednesday, who is the right guy to take Hagelin’s spot on the top unit?

Let’s take a look at some possibilities…

• Ryan Callahan- Captain Cally does just about everything for the Rangers, so why not install him on the top line?  He could be a huge boon to the forecheck and allow for Richards and Gabby a little more room to operate down low.  He also has an unfailing nose for the net, and if those two can generate shots on goal, Cally is a good bet to bang in some rebounds.
• Brandon Dubinsky- Last season’s leading scorer, Dubi would seem to possess the skill set to complement the top line nicely.  He has a decent set of hands and can bring some jam to a finesse unit.  However, he has had trouble finding the back of the net this season, and has often looked lost between passing and shooting.  But, who knows, maybe playing with talent like Gaborik and Richards is just the thing to light the fire under Dubi’s offensive game. Read more »

Decent news on the Stepan front; No hearing for Orpik

This afternoon some good news has hit the Twittersphere about the status of Derek Stepan, recipient of a dirty knee-on-knee hit from Brooks Orpik last night. Per Andrew Gross, Stepan attended the Rangers team photo shoot this morning. Although Stepan didn’t skate at practice, his attendance at the team picture is at least a good sign. It means he can walk on that leg.

The other good news is that Ryan McDonagh, who rode to practice with Stepan (per Steve Zipay), said that Stepan was sore, but didn’t think it was serious.

More good news: there have been no call ups from the AHL yet. It would be a surprise if Stepan played tomorrow against the Caps though. Expect John Scott to see some time tomorrow while Stepan rests up. The President’s Trophy is nice, but not at the expense of the health of key members of the team.

Obviously the NHL had to rain on the good news parade today. There won’t be a hearing for Orpik concerning that hit. Thought the league wanted that kind of play out of the game?

A look at the Brooks Orpik knee-on-knee hit on Derek Stepan

Well, anyone who watched the game last night saw that in the third period, with the Penguins well on their way to a victory, Derek Stepan carried the puck through the neutral zone, and was hit by Brooks Orpik. The hit was a knee-on-knee hit, and Stepan was down on the ice for a while before skating to the bench. Video is below:

When watching the video, different angles show different aspects of the hit. First, Stepan made a move at the last second to try and get around Orpik. Those last second moves are generally a precursor to this type of hit. However, Orpik appears to have led with his knee on the hit, which makes it a dirty hit. I went over to Pensburgh to see what they thought, and in the game thread even they thought it was a dirty hit.

That said, Orpik is not a dirty player. His hit on Stepan in the first period was as clean a hit as they come. It just so happened a hard nosed defender made a boneheaded play, and now the Rangers are going to suffer for it. It’s not the dirtiest hit I’ve seen, look at who else is on that roster, but it’s still a dirty hit.

The in-game call of a five minute major and a game misconduct was the right call on this hit. A suspension, likely a game, would also be the right call. After all, there is zero chance that Stepan will play tomorrow, so shouldn’t Orpik be punished as well?

But of course we are talking about the NHL and the Penguins, so Orpik will likely get one of those $5,000 slap on the wrists. If he does, expect another colorful interview with John Tortorella (more on that after the jump), because that will be one of those calls that goes in the Penguins favor.

Tortorella’s press conference after the jump

Rangers Hold Off Devils; Recap

Two smart periods and one sloppy period equals Rangers win. It wasn’t perfect but the Rangers got what they deserved out of the game as they beat the Devils 4-2. They were the better team throughout and ten minutes aside in the second controlled play, were defensively solid and could have scored more if not for some sharp goaltending by Brodeur. On to the notes from the game…

First Period

Perhaps they were inevitable, but if ever a series of fights can be a seminal moment for a team then maybe the melee at the start of this game was such a moment for the Rangers. They admitted they didn’t match the Devils the last time out but three fights to kick this game off set the tone of the first period for the Rangers. Rupp and Boulton (who has no right to be in the league), Prust and Janssen and a highly entertaining Bickel and Carter scrap got the game going immediately with the crowd lapping it up.

The Rangers dominated to begin. Their physicality, speed, forecheck and desire to win every puck battle was impressive. The Devils were rocked as the Rangers took command; the result of the scraps or sheer desire?

The Rangers goal in the first came on a breakdown by the Devils leading to a 4 on 2 which saw Stepan feed Dubinsky who beat Brodeur from between the hash marks. So often the Rangers fail to capitalize on odd man rushes because they overplay it so it was nice to see them convert.

The Rangers generated a few additional chances including one which led to a review after Boyle spun out from the corner and his centering feed creating havoc in front. The correct call was made but it was still good play from the Rangers: Boyle putting it on net with other Rangers (Fedotenko) crashing the crease.

Huge break for the Rangers midway through as Kovalchuk had a huge chance in front only to be denied by a great poke check by Lundqvist when the puck broke to Parise who ringed one off the post.  Lundqvist deserved the break: he was aggressive on Kovalchuk with his stick yet at the same time, showed patience sliding across goal to follow Kovalchuk’s attempted deke.

Biggest concern for the Rangers in the first was on the penalty kill. While it was aggressive in parts, the one player they simply cannot allow to load up and fire away is Kovalchuk. Several times the Russian had clear sights on goal and was only stopped by his (on this occasion) lack of accuracy and a Hank glove; Kovalchuk was given too much space on the PP.

Given their recent slump, it was on the whole a fine first for the Rangers. They controlled the period for the most part.

Read more »

Stepan Maturing

Two things really stand out about Derek Stepan this season; when he has a bad game or bad period it doesn’t linger and he comes straight back with an improved performance. That is evidence in itself that he is a quick learner which will stand him in good stead for his career. Secondly, this season Stepan’s game is really rounding out despite being on course for fewer goals than his rookie year.

During the Carolina win Thursday night, Stepan was credited with a game high four hits. He blocked two shots, had three of his own and of course grabbed two assists. There wasn’t much Stepan didn’t do against the Canes. It’s become a typical all-round performance from the still 21 year old American center.

Stepan is on course for a 50+ point season and his development this year has probably kept the criticism of Brad Richards’ production from being louder. It’s not often the coach leaves lines in tact but barring a mid season divorce, the ‘GAS’ line has remained a constant. A large part of that has to do with Stepan’s ability to mesh so well with Marian Gaborik.

You want consistency? Taking into account Stepan is a 21 year old sophomore he has only once gone longer than three games without a point this year and that was the very first four games of the season including the Sweden trip.

Stepan has already registered more hits, in twenty games less, than in his first year, equalled his powerplay production, is blocking more shots, and will likely take more shots in his second year as well. Overall, Stepan has shown tremendous signs of development including in his already quality decision making. Stepan is becoming an essential part of the Rangers and has cemented himself a place in the top six for the foreseeable future.

It doesn’t matter where the Rangers play, Stepan makes sure he contributes. 22 points on home ice, Stepan also has 19 away from the world’s most famous arena; evidence that he isn’t a home bird. Against possible playoff opponents such as the Devils, Flyers and Senators Stepan has produced against them all.

He hasn’t been perfect by any stretch, but Derek Stepan continues to show the kind of developmental trajectory that gets fans excited. A player blessed with intelligence, maturity and skill Stepan will be a quality Ranger for many years to come – exactly why Glen Sather refused to even consider parting with the Rangers’ very own McLovin.

The Latest on Rick Nash

12:47pm: Via Mark Spector, talks between the Rangers and Blue Jackets regarding Rick Nash have “advanced.” The reported package includes one of Ryan McDonagh or Michael Del Zotto, a prospect (apparently Tim Erixon), and a first round pick. The Rangers believe this offer gives them the edge over the Maple Leafs, and I would sure hope it would. That’s a serious haul.

As Dave said on Twitter, any deal bringing Nash to New York would have to involve Brandon Dubinsky going elsewhere for salary purposes. Columbus apparently doesn’t want him, which complicated things. It’s worth noting that Wojtek Wolski was not placed on waivers today according to Bob McKenzie, so his rather pricey salary will still count against the cap on Monday, trade deadline day.

I’m of the belief that the Rangers should look for an upgrade over the Stu Bickel/Steve Eminger/Jeff Woywitka trio, not subtract potentially two defensemen. We’ve seen the d-men get beat with speed quite a bit lately, and I don’t think that’s an accident. Dan Girardi, McDonagh, and MDZ have logged a ton of ice time this season, so adding another guy to soak up some minutes down the stretch makes sense. Anyway, I’ll update this post with any Nash-related rumors throughout the day.

Update (2:24pm): Per David Pagnotta, the Blue Jackets badly want Derek Stepan but will settle for Carl Hagelin. He mentions a package of Dubinsky, Stepan/Hagelin, Chris Kreider, plus a pick (not necessarily a first rounder), though it’s unclear if that’s on the table or if he’s speculating. Meanwhile, Larry Brooks hears that there’s nothing to the MDZ talk, but Erixon is in play. After the Wolski trade, the Rangers can add close to $11 million in cap hits at the deadline according to CapGeek. The money’s there if they want to do something big, or even two something bigs.

Anisimov’s Precarious Rangers Future

When the same thing happens season after season you begin to wonder whether a player truly is developing or whether he has already hit his ceiling. Artem Anisimov, every year with the Rangers, has had spells where he looks like a great piece for the future and then periods when he disappears.

Anisimov is pointless in twelve (yes, twelve) games prior to Thursday’s Penguins game. That’s almost impossible given his line mates for the majority of those games and even lately with a reduced role Anisimov is still averaging over 15 minutes/game on the season. That’s plenty of opportunity to make an offensive contribution, one that his team needs.

The Russian is still on pace to hit 40 points for the season but that’s just it. Is the talented forward topping out as a 40 point player or do people still see his skill set, his size and age and think (hope?) he can make it to a 60 point player? It’s looking less likely with every additional barren streak.

What’s more, Anisimov is moving himself into dangerous territory. Derek Stepan has made himself almost untouchable as he develops nicely this year. With Gaborik, Richards and Callahan going nowhere anytime soon and Brandon Dubinsky (prior to injury) showing signs of getting back to his normal, top six self, should the Rangers look to make a significant addition this season Anisimov may be the forward that gets dangled off the roster.

With the Russian’s poor play and the other aforementioned players security on the roster, Anisimov’s potential may play against him. Despite his up and down season his potential is still appealing to other teams as trade bait. A relatively small contract, youth on his side and a solid (but unspectacular) CV, Anisimov would be a solid starting point for many trades negotiations around the league.

As the Rangers continue to move towards the playoffs, Anisimov may either be auditioning to secure his Rangers future or become a trade piece. We discussed it at the start of the season that Anisimov may be in a play-off with Derek Stepan for a long term future in the top six with the Rangers. Right now, he’s losing hands down.  It promises to be an important few weeks before the deadline, for the Russian.

Halfway There Report Card: The Top Six Forwards

When you’re a team sitting at the top of the NHL standings there’s usually not much to moan about. The Rangers have been blessed with production and top quality performances from all over the roster including the top six. A team cannot win consistently if it doesn’t get production from its key guys and the Rangers have been getting it. To the grades…

Marian Gaborik. In December we discussed the possibility of whether Gaborik was the league’s best right wing this season. That kind of says it all about the year he’s having. On pace to establish a new career high in goals, Gaborik is flirting with the magical 50 mark. Despite occasional stretches without production he’s been remarkably consistent and blew past his subpar 10/11 season goal total with less than half the season gone. Gaborik is the Rangers best offensive talent and he’s showing it. Fully healthy, he looks explosive; the sky’s the limit this season. A+

Ryan Callahan. The most underrated captain in the league? The best player in the league no one ever talks about? The Rangers captain does it all. He’s 4^th in the league in hits, was on course for a 30 goal season and gives 100% every single shift. Seven power play goals, three game winners and a short-hander suggest Callahan produces in every scenario. If there was any kind of criticism of Callahan it may be that he’s taken a few too many penalties this season but that would be nitpicking in a brilliant season for the best Rangers captain in several seasons. A+

Brandon Dubinsky. This is a tough grade because it depends what your expectations are for the talented Alaskan. Dubinsky has had a pretty rough first half even though he’s clearly improved recently. The bottom line however is that for a player making around $4m annually, counted on to be an offensive contributor, a physical leader on a blue collar team then 5 goals and 21 points do not cut it. Nor does the 6% shooting percentage or the meagre 76 shots. Luckily for Dubinsky, the team has great depth and have coped without consistent production from him. Slowly turning his year around, it’s almost like a new addition making the Rangers potentially even more dangerous. C-

Derek Stepan. Please remember this kid is 21. He’s centering the top line on the NHL’s best team (points wise), is likely to comfortably surpass his rookie totals and doesn’t look out of place at all. Stepan was an eagerly anticipated prospect but I’m not sure many people thought he would be this good, this quickly. He still has some developing to do, like his shot selection, but when his contract expires he’ll likely be a lot better financially next time he signs on the dotted line. Stepan is scoring important goals (but not enough), playing a pivotal role in Gaborik’s bounce back year and is growing up right before our eyes. Rarely do you see Stepan make a bad decision and his passing ability is incredible, as we saw once again throughout the Coyotes win last night. A huge future lies ahead. B+

Artem Anisimov. The Russian is another player showing solid progression this year. Unfortunately he has cooled off lately; pointless in eight games. Anisimov has a tendency to be streaky, and he needs to score more goals but a lot of the work Anisimov has done this season has not shown up on the score board. He’s a nice fit on the top line with Gaborik and Stepan and has handled his move to the wing nicely. His play along the boards has improved immeasurably and don’t forget Anisimov is also still young at 23 and figures to have room to develop offensively. If his production ever catches up to his talent then he could be a monster. B-

Brad Richards. Like Dubinsky, critiquing Richards’ season so far depends on what your expectations were. If you judge Richards with the massive contract in mind or place much emphasis on the relatively small stretch where he wasn’t contributing offensively then it may not look that impressive. If you measure the impact his presence has had on the rest of the roster (depth), the clutch goal scoring or the way he has influenced players like Del Zotto then Richards has been a great addition and has had a fine beginning to his Rangers tenure. That said, one of the key reasons for his signing was to help fix the powerplay and he hasn’t managed to help turn it into a more effective unit.

Despite being on course for his first 30 goal season he’s also on course for his lowest points total since 08/09. Of course that total would have led the Rangers over the last few years but it’s a different measuring stick for an elite player. Richards’ faceoff results have been quite inconsistent this year too, much like his production. Richards has improved defensively as the year has developed which no doubt helps his game when not scoring. The best part of Richards’ year is that there should be more to come. Lined up with Callahan and Dubinsky, the Rangers now have two quality scoring lines. When was the last time they could say that? If Dubinsky really has turned his year around, expect more from Richards as a result too. B-

In case you missed it. We also wrote report cards for our bottom six forwards, defense, & goalies.